Military Internet Block Lifted After One Day
Gunfire Reported During Disbandment Process in Myawaddy
[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] In Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, street protests against the military coup continued for the second consecutive day. Nearly 100,000 people gathered, reflecting the public's anger.
On the 7th, Bloomberg reported, "Almost 100,000 protesters gathered at Sule Pagoda in downtown Yangon," calling it "the largest scale since the 2007 Saffron Revolution." The Saffron Revolution refers to anti-military protests led mainly by Buddhist monks in response to the military government's sharp increase in fuel prices. It is estimated that hundreds died at that time.
According to foreign media, protesters from various parts of Yangon gathered at 'Sule Pagoda' in the afternoon. This location was also a key protest site during the anti-military demonstrations in 1988 and 2007. Local online media Myanmar Now added that protests simultaneously took place in at least three Yangon areas including Hledan, Yankin, and Tamwe. Some local media bypassed the military government's internet shutdown and broadcast the street protests live via social media.
They waved flags of the National League for Democracy (NLD) led by State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and marched through the city chanting slogans while raising the 'three-finger salute,' a symbol of resistance. The three-finger salute, borrowed from the movie The Hunger Games, has been widely used in anti-government protests in Thailand. Foreign media reported that banners carried by protesters bore slogans such as "We do not want military dictatorship."
Major foreign media also reported that besides Yangon, students and medical staff protested in Mandalay, the second-largest city, and about 100 people joined protests in the southeastern coastal city of Mawlamyine. In the Karen and Kayah State regions, hundreds stayed overnight outside police stations where NLD lawmakers were reportedly detained and continued protests into the morning.
Meanwhile, reports emerged that gunfire was heard as police dispersed protesters opposing the coup in the southeastern Myawaddy area. According to major foreign media citing local media’s Facebook live broadcasts, armed police charged into hundreds of protesters, followed by gunshots. However, it remains unclear what type of ammunition was fired or if there were casualties. Some local claims suggest rubber bullets were used.
On the same day, the military lifted the internet shutdown around 2:30 p.m. local time (around 5 p.m. Korean time). This shutdown, implemented from around 10 a.m. the previous day across Myanmar to prevent the spread of protests, caused significant inconvenience to citizens.
The Myanmar military seized power on the 1st, citing serious fraud in last November’s general election and the government’s failure to properly investigate it.
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